Bavaria is the largest federal state of Germany. Located in the southeast of the country, this largest German state by area is actually the second most populous state of the country. You can’t help to instantly associate Germany with Bavaria, well who can’t with Munich as its capital this state is one of the most popular tourist destination of the country. Aside from Berlin and Rhineland this state has its own charm with regards to culture, history and trends.

History

Included as one of the oldest states in Europe, the dukedom was established in the first millennium. The Kingdom of Bavaria was from 1806 to 1918 and since then it has been a free state.

Let us take ourselves back in time as we go back to how Bavaria came to be. Bavarians became known in a region north of the Alps. It was originally inhabited by the Gauls which are part of Roman provinces of Noricum and Raetia. Late in the 5th century AD, Bavarians didn’t actually migrate anywhere else but rather they have united with other groups that were left behind by Roman departure. The groups included the Celtic Boii, some Romans, Allemanni, Goths, Heruli, Marcomanni, Quadi, Rugians, Scirians, and Thuringians.

The name Bavarian means “Men of Baia” which actually connects to Bohemia the homeland of the Celtic Boii and later the Marcomanni. In the early 8th century Saint Boniface completed the people’s conversion to Christianity. Most part of Bavaria was unaffected by the Protestant Reformation and up to today some remain to be devoted roman Catholics still.

Geography

Bavaria has international borders with Austria, Czech Republic and Switzerland. Within Germany, it has neighboring states of Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Thuringia and Saxony.

There are two rivers that are known to flow through the state of Bavaria and that are the Danube and the Main River. The Bavarian Alps borders Austria and the highest peak is the Zugspitze.

Major cities in Bavaria are Munich, Nuremberg, Augsberg, Regensburg, Würzburg, Ingolstadt, Fürth and Erlangen.

Politics

The biggest political party in Bavaria is the Christian Social Union of Bavaria or the CSU. This political party has dominated since 1945 and has won every election since then. Bavaria is known to have a multi party system that is why there is also the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). Represented in the parliament is the German green party, Alliance ’90/The Greens.   In 2008, there has been an additional representation in the parliament from the Germany’s liberal party, the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the Free Voters. It was in October of 2008 where the CSU and the FDP parties formed a coalition, while the rest which is the SPD, Free Voters and The Greens formed the opposition.

Economy

Of all the regions in Germany, Bavaria is known to have the largest and healthiest economy in the country and even in the whole continent of Europe. Specifically, they are noted to be one of the largest economies in Europe and ranking number eighteenth in the world. Large companies naming BMW, Siemens, Rohde & Schwarz, Audi, Munich Re, Allianz, Infineon, MAN, Wacker Chemie, Puma AG, and Adidas AG are all found in Bavaria adding to the rise of their economic structure.

Culture

As much as each city or region can have differences in aspects of culture in respect to religion and traditions. Bavaria too has its own distinct mentality and overview. From their Finno – Uralic descent which comes from Finland and Russia to Bavaria, there are differences that can be found in terms of:

  • Religion

There is a bigger percentage of 56.4% that are devoted to the Catholic Church; the rest of the 21% adheres to the Evangelican Lutheran Church in Bavaria. It can be said, that most of Bavaria is dominated by the Roman Catholic faith.

  • Traditions

Bavarians are known for their pride with their traditions. From the costumes that have been passed on from generations, known as Tracht that is to be used most especially in special occasions, the Maibaum or the figurettes on the pole that represents the trade of the village, to the old folk songs, and to the bagpipes, all that represent each page in the culture and history of what Bavaria is. Cultural heritage is what they are all about and they are continuously enriching their long old traditions and merging it with the present. They hold dances and festivals to keep these traditions alive and remembered by every generation.